diff --git a/couchdb/client.go b/couchdb/client.go
index 61866cbf..112c25b9 100644
--- a/couchdb/client.go
+++ b/couchdb/client.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (c *client) AllDBs(ctx context.Context, opts driver.Options) ([]string, error) {
-	var query url.Values
+	query := url.Values{}
 	opts.Apply(&query)
 	var allDBs []string
 	err := c.DoJSON(ctx, http.MethodGet, "/_all_dbs", &chttp.Options{Query: query}, &allDBs)
diff --git a/couchdb/client_test.go b/couchdb/client_test.go
index 216220c1..358f5a79 100644
--- a/couchdb/client_test.go
+++ b/couchdb/client_test.go
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ func TestAllDBs(t *testing.T) {
 		}, nil),
 		expected: []string{"_global_changes", "_replicator", "_users"},
 	})
+	tests.Add("with param", test{
+		client:  newTestClient(nil, errors.New("expected")),
+		options: kivik.Param("startkey", "bar"),
+		status:  http.StatusBadGateway,
+		err:     `Get "?http://example.com/_all_dbs\?startkey=bar"?: expected`,
+	})
 
 	tests.Run(t, func(t *testing.T, test test) {
 		opts := test.options